Some Assembly Required
by einstein205
Summary: After Bill and Fleur's wedding, Harry, Ron, and Hermione must find the last of the Horcruxes. But when emotions run high, will a new couple come about?
1. Leaving Hogwarts

A/N: I would really like to thank my betas, Sebin, Kali, and Mellyone. I would also like to thank you guys for following my attempts at writing this story.

Harry sat on his scarlet and gold-embroidered bedspread, staring solemnly out the window. The sun's light was rapidly fading behind the mountains, and a chink of red light was passing through the window. He had still not packed all of his things and he heard Hermione voice in his head: _Harry, you need to pack, the train will be leaving soon_. He caved in to the voice and slid off of his bed. He was the only one is the dormitory; Neville, Dean, Seamus, and Ron were all down at the end-of-year feast. He gathered up his Invisibility cloak, Marauder's Map, Firebolt, Hedwig's cage. He searched under his bed and found three old pairs of socks and a dirty shirt. He threw the dirty laundry unceremoniously into his trunk and laced up his sneakers. He walked down the stairs slowly, but sure-footedly; his gaze rested on his sneakers all the way down. He plopped down on the couch furthest from the hearth. He lay across it so he could see the tips of the trees in the Forbidden Forest. The guests from Dumbledore's funeral had departed and returned to their normal (well, as normal as they could be with Voldemort) lives. Harry let hid mind wander: he thought of Ginny, Hermione and Ron, Hagrid, Ginny, Sirius, Dumbledore, Ginny….; he stopped himself abruptly. _I can't keep thinking about Ginny, we can't be together because of damn Voldemort. _ He let his eyes droop, his mind drifting once more over his friends before the warm summer air pulled him into a comfortable, dreamless sleep.

He woke to the not-so-gentle prod in his side. "Potter-scum must wake up now! The train will be departing soon." Harry's eyelids shot open; he bolted off of the couch and dashed towards the portrait hole, not noticing Kreacher's form at the side of the couch. He pushed through the portrait hole and ran full-force into someone. He tripped and slid and across the floor. He looked to see who had run into him, ready to tell the person off. He then saw the crumpled form of bushy haired, Hermione Granger. He sprang up and stuck out his hand to help Hermione up.

"Thanks, Harry," she said, taking his hand, her eyes meeting his. She stood up and brushed the dust off of her robes with her free hand. "I was coming to tell you that the train's going to leave soon, but obviously Kreacher beat me to it," she stated coolly, peering into the common room just in time to see Kreacher vanish. Harry glanced at his watch to see that they had only five minutes to descend seven stairs and cross the grounds. He relayed this information to Hermione and darted down the stairs with her. Moments later, they were in the deserted Entrance Hall. The Entrance Hall was spotlessly clean and the Gryffindor rubies had been replaced in their hourglass. Harry pushed open the front door with his free hand and together they sprinted across the trodden grounds towards the gates. Hogsmeade station loomed in the distance and the pair heard a low train whistle. Harry gave Hermione a significant look and Harry pulled Hermione even faster along.

"Harry, we're not going to make it," cried Hermione between gasps.

"We _will_ make it," he responded. Sweat was pouring from both teenagers' foreheads. Harry stopped at the gate and pushed at the large gate. It creaked open and Harry and Hermione ran through the small opening. They scrambled into Hogsmeade and saw the station at the end of the lane. Harry checked his watch and saw that they had 45 seconds left until the train left. Suddenly, an idea popped into Harry's head; without waiting for Hermione's consent, he squeezed her hand tightly and visualized the steam pouring from the scarlet Hogwart's Express. Hermione was staring at him, pondering why he had stopped running. She pulled at his hand to get his attention, but soon felt as if she was being squeezed through a very thin tube; Harry felt the same way, but since he had been the one to Apparate, he was prepared for the sensation. They vanished from High Street and appeared second later on the platform with a faint "pop."

"Harry, you Apparated all by yourself!" she beamed proudly and gave him a quick hug and he beamed back. They were alerted to the present by the shrill warning whistle from the Hogwart's Express. They boarded quickly and then gasped for breath in the corridor. After they caught their respective breath, the train was chugging along rapidly.

Harry looked around wildly, and then swore loudly, "Bugger! I left all of my luggage in my dorm."

"It's fine Harry, I summoned it before Kreacher woke you up and shrunk it," she reached into her pocket and pulled out three trunks. She pulled out her wand and began to mutter, "Engor-"

"Hey, 'Mione, maybe we should just keep them that way for a while, it'll be easier to carry. Oh, and thanks for remembering my stuff."

They both smiled and Hermione said, "Don't call me 'Mione', I told you and Ron I hate that."

"Fine, Ms. Granger…" he stated sulkily. They both smiled sheepishly and Harry looked away. That was when he noticed that he was still grasping her hand. He let go of it swiftly and a red tinge of embarrassment briefly fell on Harry's cheeks. A flash of some emotion glinted behind Hermione's chocolate brown eyes, but it vanished.

"I guess we should find the others," suggested Hermione to replace the awkward silence.

"Yea," he simply replied. He and Hermione walked down the corridor to the compartment where Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Luna were sitting, no one talking. Hermione opened the door and the pair walked into the silent compartment.

A/N: Hey, I really want to thank all my fans who have stuck with me throughout changing fics. I really will try my best to stick with this because now I have betas. Thanks to them and to you. Please Read and Review; they are really motivating.


	2. The Ride Home

A/N: Thanks to my betas, you are a constant inspiration. Also, thanks to my readers. I was convinced that writing fanfictions was stupid and I promised I was over it. So now this story is a forbidden activity.

Harry and Hermione crossed the threshold into the compartment with their friends. Ron was reading a Quidditch magazine and Luna was perusing the latest issue of the Quibbler. Ginny was reading the Daily Prophet and Neville was examining a copy of _Advanced Herbology_ by Maradriel Noocty. Luna and Ron were sitting together on one side of the compartment and Neville and Ginny were together on the other side. After putting up her trunk, Hermione sat down next to Ginny and pulled out _Hogwarts: A History_. Harry sat next to Ron and stared out the window. He could see clouds gathering above the mountains; their color darkened as the train sped along. Before very long, rain was pounding down upon the Hogwart's Express. The lamps lit in their respective compartments and Harry looked away from the window. He noticed that none of his friends were really reading; they were idly flipping the pages, but Harry could tell they were not absorbing the material they read. He couldn't blame them, the death of their beloved headmaster weighed heavily on them all.

A thought crossed his mind about breaking the silent tension, but he quelled it immediately. Letting his friends reflect on the events was the best course of action; time heals all wounds. _That was profound, Dumbledore would be proud._ He smiled at the thought and resumed staring out of the window.

The train arrived at the station long before any of the passengers had realized. The boys quickly left the compartment as the girls changed and the girls did the same for the boys. The six friends then retrieved their luggage and trudged off the train. All the students were very subdued as they greeted their families. Neville's grandmother was crushing him in a silent hug and Mrs. Weasley was whimpering over her two youngest children. He walked over to the Weasley family and Mrs. Weasley darted towards him and snatched him up. Hers arms wrapped around his torso quickly and she pulled him into a rib-cracking embrace. _I guess no matter how old I am, she'll always be able to do this._

After Mrs. Weasley released him, he smiled and stepped back. He glanced over to see Hermione and Ginny conversing friendly. He walked over to them and was joined by Ron.

"So, when is the wedding?" Harry inquired.

"Phlegm says she's a summer. She insisted that the wedding be on the first day of summer," Ginny responded.

"Which is when?" asked Ron.

"June 22," Hermione simply stated.

"Oh," said Harry. He did not want to bring up the question of when he would be coming over. He couldn't figure out how to phrase it.

"Oh, and Mum said you'd be coming over two days before the wedding and staying for the rest of the summer," Ron stated nonchalantly. Harry smiled broadly knowing he would only be spending a few days at the Dursley's. _I'll never need to go back to that place after this. _His grin broadened even more. The four friends said good-bye to Luna and Neville as they departed. The Advance Guard then arrived; Lupin, Moody, Tonks, Mundungus, and Shacklebolt all appeared disheveled and exhausted.

"Damn Death Eaters always complicate things," growled Moody.

"Death Eaters!" asked Harry.

"We were ambushed on the way over from your Aunt and Uncle's house. We were doing a preliminary check. They're at the Ministry right now, being interrogated," sated Lupin calmly.

"We need to leave soon, finish up your good-byes Potter. We're leaving in five minutes," stated Moody.

Harry then said good-bye to Ginny, Ron, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. He walked over to Hermione who was talking with her parents. "Hey Harry," she beamed.

"Harry Potter, what a pleasure to meet you," stated Mr. Granger, sticking out his hand.

Harry took it and was greeted by Mrs. Granger, "Harry, dear, nice to meet you also." She reminded him faintly of Mrs. Weasley, but was more business-like.

"We've heard so much about you from Hermione," said Mr. Granger.

"Dad…" said Hermione, sounding embarrassed. She grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him away from her parents; Mr. and Mrs. Granger exchanged knowing glances.

"So, I'll see you at the wedding then…." Harry pointed out.

"Yea…" she replied. Then she leapt at him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Please stay safe Harry." Harry was surprised at Hermione's actions, but did not regret it. He inhaled quietly and smelled Hermione's hair: a mixture of fresh air and newly bloomed roses. Hermione also could not resist smelling the aroma of Harry's preferred brand of shaving cream.

"I will, 'Mione," he said, smiling. This time, she did not reprimand him for using that petname. She stood up on her tip-toes and quickly kissed his cheek. She let go of his neck and took one step back. They both grinned awkwardly until someone cleared their throat. Moody stood behind them, magical eye darting around in his head.

"Well, bye," said Harry.

"Bye," said Hermione. She walked back towards her parents and Harry walked towards the Advance Guard.

A/N: Please Read and Review!


	3. The Nightmare

A/N: Thanks for the reviews and thanks to my betas also. This is so fun to write. Please review and be brutal.

The Advance Guard led Harry away from King's Cross Station into the parking lot. They walked in silence until there were few cars around. "Ok Potter, the Ministry found out about your little Apparating escapade in Hogsmeade. However, McGonagall sorted it out," stated Moody.

"We're going to fly to your aunt and uncle's. Got your Firebolt?" inquired Tonks.

"Yea," Harry replied digging in is trunk until he found it.

"One second," said Lupin as he rapped his wand over Harry's head. A cold trickling sensation crept down his back. He looked at his hands and saw only the dirty pavement. He attached his trunk onto his broomstick. He mounted his broom and kicked off the ground. He relished the feeling of flight; it took all his worries away. He did two backwards loops in the air, enjoying the exhilarating feeling.

"Nothin' fancy Potter, get back in formation," barked Moody. Harry reluctantly settled back with the Advance Guard and they flew through the clouds, dodging roads and motorways. After a chilly 30 minutes, Privet Drive came into view. "Begin descent," Moody shouted over the wind.

The group angled their brooms down and landed in the back yard of 4 Privet Drive. Harry dismounted his broom and walked to the back door. As Harry stuck out his hand to turn the knob Remus spoke up, "You'll need to visible Harry, and your aunt, uncle, and cousin are on vacation."

"Really?" he asked. _How amazingly perfect, empty house, no Dursleys._

"Yes, replied Remus as he rapped his wand over Harry's head. A warm feeling trickled down his back, Disillusioning him. Remus then pointed at the doorknob and muttered, "Alohomora."

Harry opened the door and crossed the threshold into the living room. He pulled his trunk behind him and set it down on the floor. Tonks and Remus came in behind him, holding hands. They smiled, Remus said, "We'll leave you here, but there will be two guards at the house at all times." And with that they exited the living room.

Harry sat down on the living room couch and flipped on the TV. The news was on, but Harry wasn't really watching it. He was thinking. Why had the Dursleys left him in their house all alone? It wasn't like them.

He discarded that train of thought for a more pleasant one. What had Hermione meant by that kiss at King's Cross? Hadn't she been pining for Ron's attention all last year? He rubbed his cheek smiling; he remembered two beautiful she had looked that night in their fourth year at the Yule Ball.

He watched more TV and began to get drowsy. He lay down across the couch and started to dose. His eyes closed and slipped into a dream.

_He stood looking at the Mirror of Erised, hand in his pocket. He was rummaging I his pocket, but could not feel the Sorcerer's Stone in his pocket. He whipped around and saw Professor Quirrell writhing in pain on the ground. He was clutching the back of his head; Voldemort's face was growing steadily more prominent. The Sorcerer's Stone was lying on the ground. Then Voldemort's neck jutted out of the back of Quirrell's head. Soon his entire body was standing erect; Quirrell's was crumpled in a heap on the ground. The scenery changed. Harry was standing in the Chamber of Secrets. Tom Riddle was laughing and the Basilisk was sniffing Ginny's body. Then in one swift move, it threw her into the air and gobbled her up. The scenery changed again. _

_Dementors were swooping all over the lake. Sirius was lying on the ground, exhausted. A dementor stooped in and covered his face with its own. The dementors then swooped on him. He could here a woman screaming and he passed out on the ground. He was in the graveyard, clutching Cedric's dead body. _

_Hermione was being hit with Antonin Dolohov's spell. She fell to the ground with a soft "Oh." Sirius was falling through the veil on the raised dais. _

_His newest memory then surfaced. Severus Snape stood, pointing his wand at Dumbledore. "Avada Kedavra," he bellowed and a jet of green light shot out of the end of his wand and hit Dumbledore square in the chest._

Harry sat straight up and retched on the floor. He was covered in cold sweat and his clothes were sticking to his body uncomfortably. He retched again and sat with his head in his hands.

A/N: Please read and review! Did you like the dream scene?


	4. The Attack

A/N: Hello, my loyal followers. At long last, a new chapter has arrived. Please review!

Harry stood up from the couch and walked into the kitchen. He drank a glass of water and grabbed a wet rag. He wiped up all the vomit and sat back down on the couch. He rubbed his eyes with his palms until he saw spots. He kept trying to get the vision out of his head, but it kept coming back, like the horrible nightmare it was.

His first instinct was to write to Sirius or Dumbledore, but that was impossible. He rubbed his eyes with his fists until spots appeared in front of them. He didn't want to write to Ron or Hermione because he knew they would make a mountain out of a molehill. _But what if it _really _is important? What if it's another vision planted by Voldemort?_ He instantly blocked his mind against all intrusion. He lay out across on the couch and turned on the television. The 11:00 news was just ending because the sports was wrapping up.

"Hold on folks, breaking news here," stated the newscaster. "We have just received news that there has been an attack in the Manchester area. Details are still sketchy. The attack took place in the eastern side. Many civilians are hurt, but no deaths have been released. Local businesses affected are Sheffield Flower Shop, Lucas Pub, and Granger Family Dentistry."

Harry's jaw dropped down and he lost his voice. He went outside and grabbed the two guards who happened to be Remus and Moody. He pulled them into the living room and pushed them onto the couch. Remus stared perplexed and both of Moody's eyes were focused on the screen. Remus grabbed Moody's arm and whispered something in his ear. Moody reached into an inside coat pocket and pulled out a small toy owl. He tapped it gently with his wand and it expanded into a fully grown owl. It had not been a toy at all. He rapped it with the tip of his wand again and two dozen replicas appeared from thin air.

"What are you doing?" inquired Harry.

"We planned for something like this; we have to send an owl to members of the order and we have to go to the Grangers," replied Lupin.

"You planned for this attack? Why didn't you stop it?" asked Harry angrily.

"We didn't know if it would happen to Hermione or the Weasleys, although we had suspected it to be the Grangers. We have to get over there and do some work."

"You coming, Potter?" asked Moody.

"Hell yea."

Remus and Harry went into the backyard as Moody scribbled 24 notes and tied them to the owls' legs.

"Ok Harry, side-by-side-Apparition. Just grab my arm; we're going to have to go into the Grangers'' house so as to not scare the Muggles." Harry pictured Hermione's smiling face and a grin spread across his face.

He felt that feeling of being sucked through a tube and before he knew it he felt solid ground under his feet. He opened his eyes and looked around. A four-poster canopy bed with a pink comforter caught his eye. He glanced around some more. He saw a rug, a dresser, and a wall-size bookshelf. He smiled at Hermione's studious nature.

He snapped back to attention when he heard an ambulance coming up the street. He let go of Lupin's arm and ran downstairs. Harry went through two rooms, an open room filled with dentistry equipment, and a front foyer. He got through the front door and crashed into his best friend. Hermione let out a loud shriek and two adults turned around and ran toward the two. Harry untangled himself from Hermione and helped her up. She smiled and leapt on him.

"Long time, no see Harry," she smiled

"Yea," he said, messing up his hair.

"What is this?" growled Mr. Granger.

"Hermione dear, who is this?" asked Mrs. Granger.

"This is Harry, he's in my year," she replied grabbing his arm and leading him to her parents.

"Well, who is this gentleman?" asked Mrs. Granger.

"My name is Remus Lupin," he said, sticking out his hand. Harry shook both Grangers' hands and looked at the carnage around. Multiple ambulances, police cars, and crying families were outside as the sun set. The baker and florist were both combing through the carnage of their businesses.

"Let's get out of the cold," stated Mrs. Granger cheerily. A strong wind blew through the street and Hermione gripped Harry's arm tighter. The group of five shuffled inside. Harry looked at the scarred remains of the front of the Grangers' Dentistry. The sign above the door was lopsided and the two front windows were blown out. They went through the dentistry room, the employees lounge, and the Grangers' office until they came to door that led upstairs. They convened in the kitchen and Mrs. Granger set a pot of tea on the stove as Mr. Granger pulled out five cups. Hermione's mom whispered something to Mr. Granger, but he seemed to not notice. Hermione pulled out a box of Danishes from the fridge and set five out on a plate. She sat down by Harry and Lupin summoned a chair from another room. All five sat down and Mrs. Granger passed out the cups of tea. Lupin spoke up first.

"Mr. and Mrs. Granger, this may be hard, but I need you to tell me what happened exactly. And Hermione, too, if you remember anything."

"Well, I remember I was saying good-bye to the last customer, Mrs. Brown and her son Jonathan," replied Mrs. Granger.

"And I was cleaning the equipment in the back," said Mr. Granger.

"So, I was just about to close the door and lock up when I saw a great blue explosion from the center of the street," said Mrs. Granger.

"Where were you Hermione, if you don't mind me asking?" asked Lupin

"Oh, I was at the park, with…." trailed off Hermione, blushing.

"With?" asked Harry accusingly

"Just a friend," she stated quietly, stomping on Harry's foot.

"I'll tell you later," she whispered in his ear.

"Ok, so there was a blue explosion," Lupin reminded the group.

"Yes, but I saw it then I heard it, it was at least three seconds before the noise came. But when it came, it knocked me off my feet and blew out the windows," stated Mrs. Granger.

"Is that all?" asked Lupin.

"Yes," replied Mrs. Granger. She stood up and poured everywhere more tea.

"Excuse me, I left something in my room," said Hermione, gently nudging Harry's knee. After a few minutes Harry spoke up.

"Excuse me, where is your bathroom?" asked Harry.

"Down the hall, last door on the right, do you want me to show you where it is?" asked Mr. Granger.

"Oh no, thanks though," Harry replied. Harry walked down the hall and as he got to the bathroom, Hermione grabbed his hand and pulled him into her room. She closed the door. She sat on the bed and beckoned Harry over. He sat on the bed and she started explaining.

"Ok so at the park, I was with a boy named Jason Wood. He and I….dated at the end of fifth year. We broke up, well I broke up with him at the end of the summer, but he was pretty angry. He called me a slut who just dated him for a summer fling," she said. Harry's eyes opened wide.

"Oh no, nothing like that," she said, placing a hand on his. She withdrew it quickly, but they both blushed. "Anyway, he came by this afternoon and told me he wanted to apologize for being such an ass. We walked around the park a few times and talked it over. He apologized a lot and said that he had just really liked me and was sorry it couldn't have lasted."

"Huh? Wha? You done? I think I fell asleep," he joked. She punched him in the arm.

"I've never told that to anyone before, thanks for listening," she said.

"Hermione, not that I'm not glad that you trust me, but could you save the girl stuff for Ginny," Harry smiled.

"I guess we should get back downstairs, I've been 'looking for something' for a while," stated Hermione.

"Yea, and I've 'been in the bathroom' for forever." They both walked downstairs and joined the group again.


End file.
